According to a reporter writing in The Columbus Dispatch, the moonrise alignment “remains only a theory” (Monday, April 18, 2005). Does this mean the moon might not rise along the axis of Octagon Earthworks in 2005 and 2006?
No. The alignment of the earthwork is a demonstrable fact of architecture that anyone can see and measure for themselves. The alignment of the northernmost moonrise at the latitude of Newark is a well understood fact of astronomy. There is no uncertainty about either of these facts. The main axis of Octagon Earthworks is precisely aligned to the point on the horizon where the moon rises at its northernmost point. The moon will appear to rise along this alignment at 12:09 AM (Daylight Savings Time) on September 14, 2006, (and on a few other dates in 2005 and 2006 please see F.A.Q. Focus). Therefore, the reporter’s statement is factually incorrect, but it also perpetuates confusion about the nature of scientific facts and theories. In science, a theory is not a guess or an unsubstantiated claim. A scientific theory is a logical explanation of a natural phenomenon based on systematic observations (scientific facts). Theories provide an explanatory framework for making sense of facts. In o
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- According to a reporter writing in The Columbus Dispatch, the moonrise alignment "remains only a theory" (Monday, April 18, 2005). Does this mean the moon might not rise along the axis of Octagon Earthworks in 2005 and 2006?
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